Automatic stop mechanism for phonographs.



W. W, KIDENEY. AUTOMATIC STOP MECHANISM FOR PHONOGRAPHS.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. I8. I916.

Patented J an. 14, 1919.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

W. W. KIDENEY.v

AUTOMATFC STOP MECHANISM FOR PHONOGRAPHS.

APPLICATION FILED DEC-18,1916.

1,291,549. Patented Jan.14, 1919.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

W. W. KIDENEY.

AUTOMATIC STOP MECHANISM FOR PHONOGRAPHS.

APPLICATION FILED DEC-18, l9l6. 1,291,549. Patented Jan. 14,1919.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

TATE arisian canton.

WILLIAM W. KIDENEY, CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR T0 AMERICAN ELECTRIC COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

AUTOMATIC STOP MECHANISM FOR PHONOGRAPHS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J an. 14, 1919.

Application filed December 18, 1916. Serial No. 187,514.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, WILLIAM W. KIDENEY, a citizen of the United States of America, and resident of Chicago, Cook county, Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Automatic Stop Mechanism for Phonographs. of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in automatic stop mechanism for phonographsthat is, means for automatically stopping the phonograph at a predetermined point which is usually at the completion of the record.

One of the features and objects of my invention is to provide improved means for stopping the phonograph at a desired point which is simple and efficient and which can be easily and quickly adjusted for operation and yet is such as will insure certain operation to stop the phonograph mechanism when the playing of the record is completed. I have applied my invention specifically to a phonograph driven by an electric motor and have provided means for automatically breaking the circuit of the motor at a predetermined time. It is obvious, however. that my invention may be applied to phonographs having other forms of driving means.

These and other features and objects of my invention will be more readily under stood by having reference to the accompanyin drawings in which- Figure 1 is a plan view of a phonograph embodyin the features of my invention showing t e tone arm in stop position and showing this arm in dotted lines in the position it assumes when set to play the record.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation partly in section.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a. view taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3 and looking upward as indicated by the arrows.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3 looking downward as indicated b the arrows.

I have i1 ustrated the usual cabinet form of phonograph including the tone arm 6 which carries the sound box 7 and needle or stylus 8 which is adapted to engage with the record 9 carried by the revolving table 10. The tone arm 6 is pivotally mounted by means of a pin 11 to a collar 12. the tone arm belng cut away at its lower edge as indlcated in Fig. 3 to permit this arm to be raised, and a washer 12 is interposed between the collar and tone arm in order to form a tight joint. The collar 12 is carried by a circular member 13 provided with a V-shaped central web 14. The supporting plate 17 is provided with a circular opening spanned by the web 16, which is provided with a V-shaped upper surface within which fits the V-shaped web 14, as clearly shown in Fig. 3. A stud 15 is threaded within the central portion of the web 14 and passes through an opening in the center of the V-shaped web 16 and forms a pivoted bearing for the member 13 and collar 12. In order to insure free movement of these members, a circular groove is provided in the member 17 for the reception of the ball bearings 18 which engage with the inclined lower edge of the member 13 as clearly shown in Fig. 3.

Passing through a circular hole in the member 13 is a. steel pin 19 which frictionally engages with the supporting plate 17 for purposes hereinafter more fully described. In order to counter-balance the weight of the tone arm and sound box carried thereby. I provide a spiral spring 20 secured at one end to the rear-end of the tone arm and inside thereof and at its opposite end to the central portion of the web 14. Loosely mounted on the collar 12 is a ring 21 which is frictionally held in engagement with said collar by means of a circular wave shaped spring 22 which tends to hold the ring 21 against the lower edge of the collar 12 in such a manner that the ring 21, when free to move, will be rotated with the collar 12 and the tone arm carried thereby. This ring 21 is provided with a notch 23 which is adapted to cooperate with the u turned end 24 of a pivoted lever 24. This ever is pivotally mounted at 25 to the supporting bar 26 dependin from the supporting plate 17 and is rovi ed with an u wardly extending operating handle 27. ikewise pivotally mounted on the bar 26 is a second lever 28, one arm of which is provided with a downwardly inclined end portion 29 adapted to engage with one end of the lever 24, in the manner which will be more clea ly described hereinafter. The opposite end of the lever 28 carries two switch blades 30 which are adapted to engage with the switch springs 31 mounted on opposite sides of a block of insulating material 31 carried by the supporting plate 17 for the purpose of opening and closing the electrical circuit of the driving motor. This lever is likewise provided with an operating handle 32. I

also provide a spiral spring 33 which is under tension and is secured at one end to the lug 34 carried by the lever 24 and at its opposite end secured to a. lug 35 carried by end of the record so that the stylus or needle 8 is over the inner groove of the record or is at any other point where it is desired to stop the playin of the record. The 0 crating handle 27 is then thrown to the le or into the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3, thus bringing the upturned end 24 of the lever 24 below the ring 21. The tone arm is then rotated to the starting position that is, to a point where the stylus 8 will engage with t e outer groove of the record. My invention is preferably applied to a phonograph in which the revolving table carrying the disk record is automatically raised by the starting of the phonograph into the position where the needle will engage with the record, in the manner shown forexample in my co-pending application Serial No. 124,463, filed October 9,1916. At this time, the table being in its lower position, and thus out of engagement with the stylus 8, the weight of the sound box tends to tip the tone arm forward so that the pin 19 frictionally engages with the upper surface of the plate 17. Thus the free movement of the tone arm is somewhat impeded so that a more accurate adjustment of the same to the inner and outer position, as above described, can'be obtained. If the tone arm were free to move on the ball bearings at this time it would swin so freely that it would be difiicult to set tl e arm in the exact position desired.

When the tone arm is first moved to the inner end of the record for the purpose of setting the device, the upturned end 24 of the lever 24 is in engagement with the notch 23 and thus the ring 21 is held against rotation. There is thus a certain relative movement between this ring 21 and the tone arm,

the extent of this movement being dependent upon the position of the tone arm in which it is desired to stop the record. When the tone arm is rotated to the starting position, as above described, the ring rotates therewith, the end 24 of the lever 24 having been pressed downward out of engagement with the notch 23. When the tone arm is in, starting position, therefore, the upper end 24 of the lever 24 engages beneath the ring 21. The starting handle 32 is then thrown to the right, into the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3, and thus the switch blades 30 brought into contact with the springs 31 closing the circuit for the driving motor and thus starting the phonograph into operation. Upon the table rising so as to engage with the needle, in the manner for example shown in my copending application above referred to, the tone arm is raised a slight degree so as to remove any frictional engagement between the pin 19 and the plate 17 and the tone arm is then free to pivot on the ball bearings 18. As the record is played the stylus travels inward thus gradually rotating the tone arm. The ring 21, being free to move, is rotated therewith and thus gradually brings the notch 23 into a position to again engage with the upper end 24 with the lever 24. When the notch reaches this point the tension exerted by the spring 33 causes the lever to snap upward into the full line position of Fig. 3 and the opposite end of this lever presses downward on the inclined end 29 of the lever 28 and in this manner forces the switch blades 30 out of engagement with the springs 31. The circuit of the driving motor is thus broken stopping the operation of the phonograph.

It will be noticed that when the switch blades are in position to close the electric circuit that the spring 33 is located below the pivotal point of the lever 28 and thus this spring tends to hold the switch blades in engagement with the springs and maintain the circuit closed. When the lever 24, however, presses donward upon the end 29 of this lever 28 the switch blades are forced out of engagement with the switch springs 31 and as soon as these blades are raised sufiiciently to bring the spring above the axis of this lever this spring operates to draw the switch blades into their upper or full line position.

It will thus be seen that I have devised a very eiiicient form of stop mechanism and one "which can be readil and quickly adjusted for stopping the phonograph at any desired place on the record. Furthermore by reason of havin the parts spring actuated a positive an sure operation is "provided as the movement of the needle on the record is not relied upon to operate the mechanism but merely brings the parts into such position that the spring) operates to cause the phonograph to be nought to a stop.

While I have illustrated and described my device in connection with the phonograph operated by an electric motor, it will be obvious that my invention can be readily applied to other forms of driving motors, such as spring motors, and that instead of operating to break the circuit of the electric motor the mechanism could be readily applied to operate a brake, and in this manner stop the operation of the phonograph.

Various other changes and modifications will readily suggest themselves to those skilled in the art, without departing from the spirit of my invention.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. In a phonograph, a revolving record, a pivotally mounted tone arm carrying a stylus adapted to engage ,with said record, a ring provided with a notch surrounding the pivotal end of said tone arm,'and a pivotally mounted lever having an end portion adapted to engage in said notch, and means controlled by said lever for stopping the operation of said record.

2. In a phonograph, a record, a tone arm, a stylus carried thereby adapted to engage with said record, an electric motor for driving said record, a switch in the circuit of said motor, a spring normally holding said switch open, means for closing said switch, said spring being thereby moved into such a position as to tend to maintain said switch closed, and means for automatically breaking said circuit to thereby stop the operation of said record.

3. In a phonograph, a record, a tone arm carrying a stylus adapted to engage with said record, an electric motor for driving said record, a switch in the circuit of said motor, a spring normally holding said switch open, means for closing said switch, said spring being thereby moved into such a position as to tend to maintain said switch closed, and means dependent upon the posihaving an upturned end adapted to engage in said notch, and a second lever controlled by said first mentioned lever for controlling the rotation of said record.

5. In a phonograph, a record, a pivotally mounted tone arm carrying a stylus adapted to engage with said record, a ring provided .with a notch surrounding the pivotal end of said tone arm, a spring actuated lever provided with an upturned end adapted to engage in said notch, an electric motor for rotating said record, a switch in the circuit of said motor, and a second lever controlled by said first lever for automatically breaking the circuit of said motor when said upturned end engages in said notch.

6. In a phonograph, a record, a pivotally mounted tone arm carrying a stylus adapted to engage with said record, a ring provided with a notch surrounding the pivotal end of said tone arm, a spring actuated lever provided with an upturned end adapted to engage in said notch, an electric motor for rotating said record, a switch in-the circuit of said motor, a second lever controlled by said first lever for automatically breaking the circuit of said motor .when said upturned end engages in said notch, said spring associated with said first mentioned lever operating to normally hold said switch open and operating when said switch has been closed to hold said switch in said closed position.

Signed by me at Chicago. Illinois, this 15th day of November 1916.

WILLIAM W. KIDENEY.

Witnesses:

AMY Janna, E. H. Cuzco. 

